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Thursday

Book review: Lolita

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita was a film that I'd been planning to see for a long, long time. When I finally got round to it, I loved it so it was natural that I would read the book too.

The content is controversial and I'm sure most people know what the book is about, even if they haven't actually ever encountered it. If you're not sure, the narrator is Humbert Humbert, a European academic who becomes obsessed with his landlady's young daughter. As his obsession grows, he is driven more mad by his desire and this ultimately leads to his demise.

The initial observation of note is Nabokov's writing style. It's conversational and digressional, told from the perspective of Humbert after the events have concluded. There's something Dickension about the meandering tracks of discussion that weave the story.Since Humbert is of mixed European descent, he frequently thinks in French. As a non-French speaker, I initially found this an alienating annoyance. However, on reflection, I feel that it plays a number of roles. First of all, it is representative of Humbert's role in America. He is not entirely comfortable in this brash world and feels something of an outsider. Of course, his desires also leave him feeling out of place. Not only this, but it prevents the reader becoming too comfortable around Humbert. The way he tells his story welcomes sympathy but his tendency to communicate in French keeps the reader apart from entering his mind completely. Initially, after reading the book, I found that it opened up an interesting philosophical question about ethics and morals. As Humbert's obsession spirals, Lo takes advantage of this to meet her own ends. Who really is the immoral one here? Humbert, completely in love with this young girl, or Lo, who plays with his mind and eventually drives him to murder? On further reflection, perhaps the whole story is carefully construed by Humbert to welcome the reader's sympathy. He was, after all, a deviant and murderer. Is the whole story twisted to make us feel sorry for him? Is he actually acutely aware of how to portray himself? Or is this genuinely the story of a hopeless man overwhelmed with love and desire?If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. If you haven't, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I promise it will really make you think!

I read the book a few years back and I did enjoy it but like you it really made me think. At the end I was so torn on who to feel sorry for, on the one hand you have this old perverted man in love with basically a child, but on the other hand this "child" manipulates him to the point he is going crazy. It's a good book though, I always recommend it!

Read the book a few years back, so I'm a little fuzzy on details, but I don't remember being torn about who I felt sorry for. The whole book is from Humbert's point of view and he is a very unreliable narrator, when Lo seems truly manipulative or is seen to be "tempting" him that's Humbert's spin, his own sickness. I did remember enjoying the book, especially the unusual writing style, its the kind of book you never quite feel comfortable reading, as you say, you can never quite get into Humbert's head fully. I think its interesting book, that you can really debate the the content and it brings up a lot of very interesting questions.

Never seen the film, though I'd like to now. Sorry about the rambling comment!